Taking Something

•In our culture, there is a reluctance to “take something” for depression or any chemical imbalance.

•For my entire career, almost daily, I have heard this point from friends, family and clients who feel inadequate, like they should instead power through incredibly difficult bouts of depression without “taking something” for it.

•They say, indignantly, “I don’t want to have to take something everyday.”

•For many, nottaking something feels like a point of pride.

•While many may be successful with not taking something, others absolutely need medication to combat depression.

•Remember that we likely self medicate (take something) daily with various cures to relieve our pain.

•Whether you use: 1-3 drinks daily or more, xanax or valium, daily marijuana use, pain meds, emotional eating or excessive shopping, etc., you are already “taking something” to relieve your pain. It is self prescribed and all of the above are depressants and/or have depressing outcomes. They send us into a further downward spiral.

•If we had a heart condition, diabetes, thyroid imbalance, we would not hesitate to take a medication to bring our bodies back into balance.

•The human brain is infinitely more complex than any other organ in our bodies or in the known universe. How can we justify discriminating against the human brain with the argument that we do not need to "take something" when we are experiencing depression.

•Is it acceptable to treat the human brain like any other organ and support the brain and good mental health by taking medication for depression, if necessary? If we, as a society, shifted our thinking on this topic, I believe that our suicide rates would be lower and our drug and alcoholism rates would be lower. Treating prolonged depression with medication is courageous. Your brain is a beautiful organ that runs on chemistry. Won’t you be motivated to take care of your brain if you aren't feeling like yourself? It is an amazing and courageous thing to seek help. I hope that you feel encouraged and empowered to take care of your mental health today. If you hear someone complain that they don't want to "take something" for depression, challenge that thinking!

"The human brain has 100 billion neurons, each neuron connected to 10 thousand other neurons. Sitting on your shoulders is the most complicated object in the known universe.” —Michio Kaku